


Exiguous

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1008]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 01:23:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13156194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Tony gives Kate some pointers on finding the perfect tree.





	Exiguous

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WaterSoter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaterSoter/gifts).



> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 02/02/2002 for the word [exiguous](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2002/02/02/exiguous).
> 
> exiguous  
> scanty; meager; small; slender: exiguous income.
> 
> This is for Stocking Stuffer #2 requested by Water Soter for the 2017 Happy Holidays Challenge, [here](https://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com/95769.html). I hope she enjoys it.
> 
> As always comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

# 

Exiguous

Kate browsed through the set of exiguous trees that were all on sale due to how scanty their branches were. There were much fuller and better trees available on this Christmas tree farm, but Kate didn't want to spend the money if she didn't have to.

“Hi Kate.” Tony greeted jovially.

“Why are you here?”

Tony placed a hand over his heart and gave Kate a mock betrayed look. “Can't I help a friend pick out a Christmas tree?”

“How did you even know where I was?”

“Ah, ah, ah.” Tony shook his finger at Kate. “That's a secret.”

Kate sighed and tried to ignore Tony though secretly she was glad he'd come along. She hated shopping for Christmas trees, but if she didn't get one her sister would make a huge to do about it. Heck, sometimes her sister made a big deal about it even when Kate found a Christmas tree.

Last year, her sister had complained the tree was too wide. Kate liked decorating a Christmas tree as much as the next person, but she didn't see the point when it was just for herself. Still every year she got a tree, just in case her sister decided to come over, in hopes of avoiding a diatribe about her lack of tree.

“You don't want any of these trees, Katie-Kate.” Tony grabbed Kate's jacket and tried to drag her away.

“Hey!” Kate shook Tony's hand off. “I can decide what tree I want just fine on my own.”

Tony shook his head at Kate. “No, you really can't. Not if you think any of these trees will be the perfect tree.”

“What would you know about finding the perfect tree?”

“More than you could imagine. Just let me help you. I've perfected my methods for finding the perfect tree. It takes less than 10 minutes and has only five rules.”

Kate shot Tony a suspicious look, “Really?”

“Promise.” 

“Fine. Let's do this.”

“Great. First rule. Never buy a sale tree. On a farm like this, a tree only gets put on sale if it's rotted or for some other reason fallen down and no longer attached to its roots.”

Kate just looked at him. “You’re making this up, aren’t you?”

“Nope. Now, come on.”

“Where are we going?” Kate protested as she followed Tony away from the sale trees.

”DiNozzo Perfect Christmas Tree Finding Rule Two, go to where trees are, but no people are. Come on.” Tony led Kate to an area about two minutes away, but completely lacking in people.

“What now?”

“DiNozzo Perfect Christmas Tree Finding Rule Three, find the middle section. These trees are neither too tall nor too short.”

Kate nods and they head for the middle area. 

“Now, for the most important rule. Rule Four, look for character.”

“What? What do you mean by character?”

“A perfect Christmas tree is one full of character. Not one where each and every branch is completely uniform.”

“So this one?” Kate points to one that has a single branch sticking straight out from it.

“Nope. This calls for Rule Five. Too much character is just as bad as too little character.”

“Huh? Now what are you talking about?” Kate narrowed her eyes at Tony beginning to think this was all a complete hoax.

“It’s like picking out a life partner. You don’t want a dull one, but you don’t want one so extravagant that they’ll drive you crazy.” Tony pointed to a tree that had a few errant branches peeking through that normally wouldn’t belong. “Now, one like that is what you want for a perfect tree.”

Kate looked at Tony’s suggestion and looked at the rest of the trees near them. Shaking her head, Kate grabbed a Christmas tree with a bunch of branches on the bottom that were growing a bit upwards and reminded her of a flouncy skirt. “This one.”

Tony nodded. “Good choice. It meets all the qualifications. Let’s get this one loaded up and purchased then.”

Tony loaded the tree onto Kate’s car for her while she paid for the Christmas tree before slipping out of the Christmas farm and heading back home. Kate turned around, thank you on her lips before she realized Tony had already left. She couldn’t wait to get her tree home. 

This year, her sister wouldn’t have anything to say about her tree. She was sure of that.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I'm looking for a writing buddy. Full details are [here](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/53610.html). It is friends locked, so you'll have to add me as a friend on lj before you can read it. 
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them.
> 
>  **Warning! Warning! 2017 ends in less than a week! When 2017 ends, the 2017 prompt collection will close.** You have 50 prompts you can use for 2017. Use them up before they go away. Prompts are currently open. If you'd like to prompt me, please do so [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCIS_Prompts_2017/profile). Note you have to be an ao3 member to do this. 
> 
> When 2018 starts, I will open a 2018 Prompt collection. In fact, I have already created the 2018 Prompt collection [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile), but sign ups are closed until 2018, so you won't be able to sign up and prompt me on this collection, yet. The 2017 prompts continue to remain over for you to prompt me with until the end of the year.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes.
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback here if you think something could be improved(either in the prompt process or the story itself).


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